HC Deb 01 February 1978 vol 943 cc439-41
7. Mr. Bagier

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to ensure fair competition in the market for freight.

Mr. Horam

My right hon. Friend's policy is that there should be no subsidy to the movement of freight whether it goes by rail or by road.

Mr. Bagier

Does my hon. Friend agree that if it is Government policy and very much in line with Labour Party policy to encourage freight to go by the best means available, the situation at Didcot distribution centre is one that brings alarm and concern within the brackets of that consideration? Will he use his influence to draw the interested parties together to try to find a reasonable and amicable settlement of the difficulty?

Mr. Horam

I understand my hon. Friend's concern about the situation that he mentions. I do not believe that it is the job of the Department of Transport to become involved in every situation of this kind. In our White Paper we mentioned the possibility of a little "Neddy", in which the rail unions and road haulage unions would be involved to settle issues of this kind, but my hon. Friend will also know that there is a further Question on the Order Paper which specifically mentions this case.

Mr. Gwynfor Evans

Will the Minister and the Secretary of State try to persuade British Rail to be less secretive about trade figures and to publish them openly for each area and region so that we can make a better assessment of the financial position of the lines involved?

Mr. Horam

I take the hon. Gentleman's point. As he knows, in our answer to the report of the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries we made figures available for the first time showing a breakdown of the various parts of British Rail's business. We wish to be as informative as we can and to encourage good practice in all nationalised industries.

Mr. Roy Hughes

Bearing in mind that fair competition in freight is one thing, will the Minister take into consideration the fact that the Severn Bridge is vital to the economic life of Wales? Therefore, will he give an undertaking to think twice before once again raising tolls on the Severn Bridge?

Mr. Horam

The question of tolls on the Severn Bridge is slightly tangential to my hon. Friend's main point. None the less, I accept the point that we must be careful about the tolls on these major bridges and also on tunnels.

Mr. Adley

Is the Minister aware that ever since the formation of British Rail in 1948 the private owners of wagons of British Rail have not been able to try to obtain extra business for themselves and, therefore, for British Rail, other than the carriage of their own goods? Is he aware that there is a potentially large market for the owners of private wagons and for British Rail, and that this is done on most of the other nationalised railway systems in the world? Will he invite the Chairman of British Rail to discuss this matter with him to see whether something can be done?

Mr. Horam

I draw the hon. Gentleman's attention in this respect to the Transport Bill, which improves the situation for private wagons of this kind in terms of receiving Section 8 grants. We are aware of the point and, to a degree, we are taking account of it.

Mr. James Lamond

Does my hon. Friend think that it assists British Rail to get freight business when it closes one of the biggest depots in the country, at Clegg Street, Oldham, with the resultant loss of 250 jobs there, putting in jeopardy the whole future of the Oldham-Manchester railway?

Mr. Horam

My hon. Friend will be aware that there is an obligation on British Rail to run its parcels service commercially. I am sure that it took that decision in the light of that obligation.